Leyton Cross

rdf:langString Leyton Cross

rdf:langString Leyton Cross is a small semi-rural area in Kent, England, that largely falls within the parish of Wilmington in the borough of Dartford, although north of Oakfield Lane the area is administered directly by Dartford Borough Council. The boundaries of Leyton Cross are ill-defined but the residential area is generally said to include the neighbourhood around Leyton Cross Road, Clayton Croft Road, Tredegar Road, Manor Close and Wilmington Court Road, the western tip of Common Lane, plus the section of Oakfield Lane between Heath Lane (Upper) and Old Bexley Lane. Leyton Cross also includes areas of heathland to the immediate north and west of this district, which are parts of Dartford Heath. Leyton Cross may also sometimes be referred to as Heath Side. Leyton Cross is named after a former crossing of five ways: routes east and west (Oakfield Lane), a route (Leyton Cross Road) leading south-west towards , and two footpaths heading north-east and north-west, which now exist only as remnants on Dartford Heath, their access from Wilmington having been lost upon construction of the A2 dual carriageway, which runs parallel with and to the north of Oakfield Lane. The north-east branch (towards Dartford) formed part of Heath Lane until the lane's route to Oakfield Lane was diverted over a new bridge to the east when the dual carriageway was built. The north-west fork continued on to Shepherd’s Lane, Bowman's Lodge and Crayford. The origin of ‘Leyton’ is forgotten, however 'ley' means a land that is for a time laid to grass, clover, etc., and a grass meadow currently exists off Tredegar Road.